CDM Gear
.22LR
I have posted this review before but thought it would be good here as well. The Polytac is a little smaller than most 1" lights, and since we redid the MOD-C (shown with the light) to accept the Surefire G2(not shown), spacers will now be included with every MOD-C clamp to accommodate this light. Below is the Streamlight Polytac LED with a CDM Gear MOD-C in the background.
Everyone asks me what light I like and recommend but not being an expert, I can only give a layman's view. I’m no expert on “lumens” and “throw” but the mechanical aspects of this little light really impressed me. A lot of people can tell you about the power, but I’m going to talk about how it’s made.
The Streamlight Polytac is an aluminum bodied light with a polymer coating on it. It has rubber seals on the bezel and the tail cap but the most impressive components are inside. In the picture below you will notice the inside of the tail cap on the left and the underside of the LED case on the right. Take your flashlight apart and compare to what you see if you like. The tail cap has a spring for the negative terminal of the battery but it is relatively small. Surrounding the spring is a rubber, fan fold gasket. These supply the cushion for the battery. Looking at the positive terminal you will notice there is no spring at all. It is a solid contact. In essence, the only suspension is the tail cap assembly with the spring and rubber gasket. The gasket is part of the suspension as it’s not meant to keep any kind of liquid out but it does add an extra level of firmness to stop the batteries from moving.
In the second picture I have removed the LED body from the reflector. It is self contained with it’s own suspension for shock absorption. It is independent from the battery compartment and not affected by battery movement. The picture on the right shows the LED disc in the normal position and, on the left, compressed. This is very good for the shock of a shotgun blast since there is nothing but recoil to act upon it.
In the next picture is a typical Chinese flashlight copy of the 6P known as Ultrafire. You will notice 2 large springs that the batteries bounce around on. This creates a veritable battering ram out of the batteries as you fire your weapon. How long thee lights will last as a weapon light is unknown. My question has always been “what’s your life worth”. The bad part is you won’t even save a few bucks because you can get the Polytac, in LED form, for about $40 with a full Streamlight warranty.
The last picture compares the battery compartments. The top picture shows a very tight compartment. This also works as a suspension technique because air must flow around the battery in order for it to move. The more restricted the flow, the slower the battery moves. It works very much like a floor jack that you have just loosened off to let your car down. Open the valve a lot and the car comes down fast. Open it a little, and it moves slower. That is the principle behind a tight battery compartment.
I am very impressed with the Streamlight Polytac for more than just the low price and mechanical advantage it has over many other lights. I also like the tail cap. It is a simple straight forward push on/off cap with momentary capability. There are many out there that also have momentary on/off but you have to twist the light on. I believe you lose a little control here because you have to move your grip to turn the light on or off and that can be a disadvantage in certain situations. Anyway, those are my thoughts, and the next time someone asks, I can point them here.
Everyone asks me what light I like and recommend but not being an expert, I can only give a layman's view. I’m no expert on “lumens” and “throw” but the mechanical aspects of this little light really impressed me. A lot of people can tell you about the power, but I’m going to talk about how it’s made.
The Streamlight Polytac is an aluminum bodied light with a polymer coating on it. It has rubber seals on the bezel and the tail cap but the most impressive components are inside. In the picture below you will notice the inside of the tail cap on the left and the underside of the LED case on the right. Take your flashlight apart and compare to what you see if you like. The tail cap has a spring for the negative terminal of the battery but it is relatively small. Surrounding the spring is a rubber, fan fold gasket. These supply the cushion for the battery. Looking at the positive terminal you will notice there is no spring at all. It is a solid contact. In essence, the only suspension is the tail cap assembly with the spring and rubber gasket. The gasket is part of the suspension as it’s not meant to keep any kind of liquid out but it does add an extra level of firmness to stop the batteries from moving.
In the second picture I have removed the LED body from the reflector. It is self contained with it’s own suspension for shock absorption. It is independent from the battery compartment and not affected by battery movement. The picture on the right shows the LED disc in the normal position and, on the left, compressed. This is very good for the shock of a shotgun blast since there is nothing but recoil to act upon it.
In the next picture is a typical Chinese flashlight copy of the 6P known as Ultrafire. You will notice 2 large springs that the batteries bounce around on. This creates a veritable battering ram out of the batteries as you fire your weapon. How long thee lights will last as a weapon light is unknown. My question has always been “what’s your life worth”. The bad part is you won’t even save a few bucks because you can get the Polytac, in LED form, for about $40 with a full Streamlight warranty.
The last picture compares the battery compartments. The top picture shows a very tight compartment. This also works as a suspension technique because air must flow around the battery in order for it to move. The more restricted the flow, the slower the battery moves. It works very much like a floor jack that you have just loosened off to let your car down. Open the valve a lot and the car comes down fast. Open it a little, and it moves slower. That is the principle behind a tight battery compartment.
I am very impressed with the Streamlight Polytac for more than just the low price and mechanical advantage it has over many other lights. I also like the tail cap. It is a simple straight forward push on/off cap with momentary capability. There are many out there that also have momentary on/off but you have to twist the light on. I believe you lose a little control here because you have to move your grip to turn the light on or off and that can be a disadvantage in certain situations. Anyway, those are my thoughts, and the next time someone asks, I can point them here.
